There exists no better way to turn domestic tranquility into household hostility than to serve one’s cohabitants chili every day for 9 months. I had mistakenly believed that we were determined soldier through the “year of chili” together. The hardened resolve worn on the faces of my young Involuntary Tasters was, upon closer inspection, stale and crusted chili. Thus proving my theorem that all truths will be revealed when someone finally forces you to bathe.

Snacks may bring the ITP back to the fold and salsa is the order of the day. The garden continues to furnish fresh tomatoes, in blatant disregard of the chickens’ immutable wave of botanically focused terror. Dear me, how the grapes suffer the wrath of those winged horticidal maniacs.

Ingredients:

8 oz tomatoes (we used yellow tomatoes from the garden)

6 oz tomatillos

2 ½ oz white onion

3 cloves garlic

1 T lime juice

2 T fresh cilantro

1 T chili powder

1 fresh jalapeno, seeded

½ t paprika

½ t cumin

Directions:

Blend ingredients until fairly smooth.

Serve with chips or lil’ carrots.

Fresh Blender Chili Salsa

“Tell the Maple to pay up, or it’ll be swimming with the fishes.”

Tasting Notes:

This salsa is as fresh as tomorrow OR Larry from Three’s Company. It depends on your predilection (e.g. are you an indoor person or an outdoorsy type?). The chili salsa positively sings with a garden fresh flavor that is accompanied by a steady and reassuring undercurrent of piquant zestiness. The glorious handmade condiment doubles as a child-mollifier.